Release Blitz for The Matchmaker Bride by Ginny Baird

 

Today we have the release day blitz for The Matchmaker Bride by Ginny Baird! Check it out and be sure to get your copy of this sexy new romcom today!

Title: The Matchmaker Bride

Author: Ginny Baird

Genre: Romcom

About The Matchmaker Bride:

A delightful romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Ginny Baird...   Successful Boston matchmaker and television personality Meredith Galanes’s reputation is on the line. During a guest appearance on a morning talk show, she’s broadsided by questions about her own romantic attachments, just as she’s trying to secure a syndication deal. Afraid to admit her love life is a total disaster, Meredith blurts out that she’s seriously involved with a very special man—a boatbuilder in Maine. She never expects that small slip to get spun into a story about her supposed engagement.   Or that the paparazzi will track the guy down…   Derrick Albright is laid-back about many things. Being hounded by the press about some imaginary engagement to a woman he’s only met once—and couldn’t stand—isn’t one of them. Then Meredith actually shows up at his cabin in Blue Hill, Maine, with an apology, a pot roast, and a proposal—play along until she secures her TV deal, and she’ll help him win back his ex.   It’s a simple plan, but if they have any chance of pulling it off, they’ll have to survive each other first...   Each book in the Blue Hill Brides series is STANDALONE: * The Duplicate Bride * The Matchmaker Bride  

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Exclusive Excerpt:

Derrick had just finished making coffee when he heard a car door pop open. He set his mug down on the counter and scowled. Another reporter? Really? It had only been a couple hours since the last round had come through, though he’d been smart enough not to answer the door and eventually they left. Instead of fielding questions he had no answers to, he’d been busy googling Meredith, trying to track down her phone number. As soon as he got rid of whoever the straggler was, he’d give in and call Brent. Maybe his wife, Hope, would be able to get him Meredith’s number. He intended to call and demand some answers. What had the infuriating woman said? Or maybe it hadn’t been her at all? Maybe one of her unhinged fans had started this rumor. But how did he get roped into it? He yanked open his front door, prepared to do battle with the paparazzi. Then he froze at the sight of that cobalt blue convertible. Meredith Galanes stepped out onto his gravel drive and his heart lurched. He’d had to put up with the woman for an entire week during Brent’s wedding last summer, and had hoped to never see her again. Yet, here she was, up close and personal, teetering in his direction in towering sandals and a flouncy dress, with her long dark curls bouncing behind her. She held a large Crock-Pot in her hands, which she grasped with oven mitts. For an instant, it was hard to believe he was really seeing her and this wasn’t some kind of weird dream. About Meredith? Not a chance. “I can explain!” she said, traipsing toward his cabin. This he had to hear. “Can’t wait.” She approached his covered stoop, her spindly heels clack-clack-clacking against the flagstones hedged by flowering bushes. This was no dream. It was her, all right. In the flesh. And smelling like honeysuckle at the height of summer. Despite himself, he’d never forgotten her perfume, or, well... pretty much anything about her. “Want to tell me what’s going on?” She stared up at him with big, dark brown eyes and Derrick’s heart slammed against his chest. “It was a simple mistake.” “Simple? Your publicity posse was here not more than an hour ago.” “Ah, um...yeah. About that.” She peered over his shoulder and into his empty living room. “Can we talk inside?” “What are you even doing in Blue Hill?” he asked, not budging. She smiled and shot him a flirty grin. “I came here to surprise you.” Consider him surprised. And more than a little ticked off. What kind of nerve the woman had. “You’re not the first one today.” She winced. “I heard.” “And?” She shoved her Crock-Pot under his nose in a peace offering. A delectable aroma wafted toward him. For the love of all things edible, it smelled just like a pot roast. A very delicious pot roast. Derrick hadn’t enjoyed a homecooked meal in months. She pressed forward into his cabin and he inched back. “Hungry?” “No.” Derrick’s stomach betrayed him with a rumble. “Uh-huh. I brought this for dinner.” Dinner? What? “No, no, no...” he said. “You are no way—no how—staying—” But, before he could finish, she used one of her shoes as a lever and kicked the door shut.  

Catch up on the Series:

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About Ginny Baird:

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Ginny Baird writes sweet contemporary romance with a dash of humor and a whole lot of heart. She is the author of the Blue Hill Brides Series: The Duplicate Bride (2020) and The Matchmaker Bride (2021) from Entangled Publishing and current and upcoming works from Hallmark Publishing: An Unforgettable Christmas (2019) and On Christmas Avenue (2021), as well as several independent titles including her newest multi-author novella collection: Beach Brides Message in a Bottle Boxed Set (2021). Visit Ginny's website to learn more about her and her books: www.ginnybairdromance.com.  

Connect with Ginny:

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Review for Three Words for Goodbye by Hazel Gaynor, Heather Webb

 

Three Words for Goodbye by Hazel Gaynor, Heather Webb 

Paperback, 400 pages

Publication: July 27th 2021 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre:  Historical Fiction, WWII

From Goodreads:  From Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, the bestselling authors of Meet Me in Monaco, comes a coming-of-age novel set in pre-WWII Europe, perfect for fans of Jennifer Robson, Beatriz Williams, and Kate Quinn.  

Three cities, two sisters, one chance to correct the past . . .

New York, 1937: When estranged sisters Clara and Madeleine Sommers learn their grandmother is dying, they agree to fulfill her last wish: to travel across Europe—together. They are to deliver three letters, in which Violet will say goodbye to those she hasn’t seen since traveling to Europe forty years earlier; a journey inspired by famed reporter, Nellie Bly.

Clara, ever-dutiful, sees the trip as an inconvenient detour before her wedding to millionaire Charles Hancock, but it’s also a chance to embrace her love of art. Budding journalist Madeleine relishes the opportunity to develop her ambitions to report on the growing threat of Hitler’s Nazi party and Mussolini’s control in Italy.

Constantly at odds with each other as they explore the luxurious Queen Mary, the Orient Express, and the sights of Paris and  Venice,, Clara and Madeleine wonder if they can fulfil Violet’s wish, until a shocking truth about their family brings them closer together. But as they reach Vienna to deliver the final letter, old grudges threaten their reconciliation again. As political tensions rise, and Europe feels increasingly volatile, the pair are glad to head home on the Hindenburg, where fate will play its hand in the final stage of their journey.

 

My Thoughts:  Three Words for Goodbye is a story set in Europe pre–World War 2.  The look at the world as it seems unaware of the war that is heading for them was interesting but also scary.  While there was talk of Hitler and his army, it was mostly about two estranged sisters who vow to carry out their dying aunts last wishes.  In doing so they get the extraordinary opportunity to visit three historic cities and learn about the aunt’s life before she was their aunt. 

The relationship between Clara and Madeleine was tough.  They did not see eye to eye on anything except that they had to follow Violet’s plan and fulfill her wishes.   In their traveling they meet interesting people, see amazing places but most of all they learn to rely on each other.  They see things that they will never forget while making memories to last a lifetime. 

This is a historical fiction story, but it had many twists.   There were unexpected discoveries, secrets revealed, pasts forgiven but not forgotten, and families reacquainted.  I loved every word in this book.   The descriptions of the people, locations, and surroundings brought the story to life while the emotions and reactions of the characters made them real.   I was unable to put the book down and recommend picking up your own copy and losing yourself in the travels of two sisters, following their aunts last wishes. 

**Thank you, Heather Webb, and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Meet Heather Webb…Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of seven historical novels. In 2015, Rodin’s Lover was a Goodread’s Top Pick, and in 2018, Last Christmas in Paris won the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award. Meet Me in Monaco, was selected as a finalist for the 2020 Goldsboro RNA award in the UK, as well as the 2019 Digital Book World’s Fiction prize. To date, Heather’s books have been translated to over a dozen languages.  She lives in New England with her family and one feisty rabbit.

Next up?

Heather’s next solo novel, The Next Ship Home, is inspired by true events and reveals the dark secrets of Ellis Island as two unlikely friends challenge a corrupt system, altering their fate and the lives of the immigrants that come after them. Stay tuned through her newsletter for updates on the release date in early 2022 from Sourcebooks.

 

Heather has also joined forces again with her beloved writing partner, Hazel Gaynor, for a third collaboration, Three Words for Goodbye, in which two feuding sisters travel to Europe at their grandmother’s last request, only to be faced with one of the most devastating disasters of the 20th century. Coming July 2021 from HarperCollins.

 

Meet Hazel Gaynor…Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times and international bestselling author. Her most recent historical novel, set in China during WW2, published as THE BIRD IN THE BAMBOO CAGE, in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and as WHEN WE WERE YOUNG & BRAVE in the USA and Canada, was an Irish Times bestseller, a National Bestseller in the USA and was shortlisted for the 2020 Irish Book Awards. Her next novel, THREE WORDS FOR GOODBYE, co-written with Heather Webb,  will be published in the USA and Canada in July 2021, and in the UK and Ireland in September 2021.

Hazel’s 2014 debut novel The Girl Who Came Home—A Novel of the Titanic won the 2015 Romantic Novelists’ Association Historical Novel of the Year, A Memory of Violets, was a 2015 WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, The Girl from The Savoy was shortlisted for the 2016 Irish Book Awards, and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter was shortlisted for the 2019 Historical Writers’ Association Gold Crown Award.

Last Christmas in Paris (co-written with Heather Webb) won the 2018 Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award. Their second collaboration, Meet Me In Monaco, was shortlisted for the 2020 Romantic Novelists’ Association Historical Novel of the Year.

Hazel was selected by Library Journal as one of Ten Big Breakout Authors for 2015. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and is published in twenty-three countries to date. She is also co-founder of creative writing events The Inspiration Project, with authors Catherine Ryan Howard and Carmel Harrington. Hazel lives in Ireland with her husband and two children. She is represented by Michelle Brower of Aevitas Creative Management, New York.

 

Blog Tour for Where the Briars Sleep by Emma Beaven

 

Title: Where the Briars Sleep 

Author: Emma Beaven 

Genre: Gothic Suspense 

Publisher: Hot Tree Press 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC. 

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡-𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭.

 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔, ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.

 Arriving back at her home estate, the first thing Rose does is visit her stepsister Sarah’s grave, taking her younger sister, Maggie, along. After a forced retreat at the cousins', Rose looks forward to some normalcy and a return to routine. Not to mention the unexpected upcoming ball hosted by their elusive neighbors to introduce their son Henry, who has been away. Perhaps this mysterious Henry may become interested in Rose. Or most likely he would become her younger sister's fourth suitor and Rose would endure more “old maid” banter.

 With the oppressive heat and unpredictable weather, Rose and Maggie are caught in a sudden severe thunderstorm. Maggie makes it back before the sky unleashes its fury, but Rose is caught behind. She really doesn’t mind, however, because she loves the rain and the wind and the gardens and could stay outside their stuffy mansion forever. Away from the wardrobe.

 In the midst of the storm, Rose is cut by a briar and becomes caught in the mud. She sees a woman on their front porch. 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘦?

 “Help me, Maggie!” But the woman is gone. 

 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝐀 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | 

Emma Beaven grew up in a reputedly haunted house on Solomons Island in Maryland. She has been an avid reader and writer of horror since she discovered Andersen’s fairy tales as a little girl. Her love of books followed her throughout her life, as she studied English literature at the University of Maryland, College Park. And from there she has been on staff at the central Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore for over fifteen years, where she currently manages the Maryland Interlibrary Loan department and is surrounded by books all day. 

Spotlight for A Pizza the Action by Christopher Carosa...and a Giveaway

 

Remember when you dreamed of running away with the circus? Remember when you fantasized becoming rich enough to exceed your wildest wishes? Imagine a place where those desires come true… A Pizza The Action takes you to that place and beyond. 

You know how it amazes you that, living only on loose change, carnival barkers can stay in business? It makes you wonder. You really want to know what their secret is and, just maybe, how you can use it to achieve your own ambitions. A Pizza The Action shows anyone selling anything for the first time or a long time how to capture that mysterious drive that will increase wealth by revealing the real truth behind the Carney Code. Spoiler Alert: Wealth is more than making money, although making money is part of being wealthy. 

A Pizza The Action takes you into the very cauldron of a successful working business by telling the authentic true story set in one of the last remaining bastions of wild west capitalism: the county fair. And not just any county fair – the Erie County Fair – one of the largest and longest running expositions in the United States. 

In these well-organized pages you’ll quickly discover more than a dozen rules exposing 54 vital lessons as told through a series of spell-binding real-life dramas of a young man who becomes a young businessman as he works in his grandparents’ pizza stand at the Erie County Fair. How useful are these lessons? Well, today, the businesses that young man has created have produced millions of dollars – all based on these easy-to-use rules and common-sense lessons! 

But A Pizza The Action is no mere business book. It is an entrepreneur’s how-to manual wrapped in a “slice of life” memoir. As you read the decade of adventures from long ago, you’ll immerse yourself in the sounds of the dazzling midway, the smells of the sizzling foods, and the sights of the amazing performances. You’ll yearn once again to become a carney, but understand you don’t need to be a carney to enjoy the fruits of all that you learn from reading A Pizza The Action. 

And when you get to the final lesson, you’ll know why it brought a tear to the eyes of so many. 

Only then will you truly see the wealth that is yours to be had.

Available to buy from the following sites...

Kindle   Amazon Paperback   Barnes and Noble 

“As he makes clear through his lively prose,… Chris utilizes a series of vignettes to provide, in a self-effacing style, very thoughtful examples of how hard work, coupled with solid personal, family, community, and business values, are the basis from which strong managers and entrepreneurs can succeed… Chris not only tells some wonderful stories, but for many of us, he brings back some long lost memories.” – Jeff Glajch, Chief Financial Officer, Graham Corporation (from the Foreword)

Scenes from an Italian Entreprenuer 

Even the simplest of life’s activities can build the most enduring memories. More important, in subtle ways they can offer lessons that stand a lifetime. When fully absorbed, these lessons can yield powerful results. In his book One Up On Wall Street, Fidelity’s superstar investor Peter Lynch explains how everyday investors can profit just by paying attention to the companies in their own backyard. Similarly, it is these same “backyard” (and sometime front yard) experiences of our youth that provide the lessons needed to reach the highest of heights in the business world. Much has been written of the proverbial lemonade stand and how it teaches budding entrepreneurs the meaning of business. This book takes place in the real-life world of a small family-owned and operated pizza stand in one of America’s most popular and prosperous annual fairs – the Erie County Fair – and follows through the events that led a young adult to learn invaluable lessons that, in the future, would help him become a successful entrepreneur. 

Chris Carosa takes a series of mundane, everyday events not unlike what many experienced growing up – if they grew up working in their grandparents’ pizza stand at the Erie County Fair! What’s amazing is he takes these vignettes of his life as a Carney and connects the dots to come up with more than a dozen general rules – told through 54 specific lessons – he’s followed in all his entrepreneurial ventures. Mr. Carosa tells these stories through the same conversational and, at times, self-effacing style his readers have become familiar with. 

Among the 54 Fascinating Lessons, You’ll Discover: 

• The Four Fundamental Basics of a Winning Business 
• What Always Comes First (despite what you might think!) 
• The Only Color that Matters 
• Why the Odds are Never in Your Favor (and how to change that) 
• What You Must Do if You Really Want Something 
• The Two Secrets of Making Memorable Presentations 
• How Exactly the Peloponnesian War Ties Into a Pizza Stand at the Erie County Fair 
• The One Concept All Successful Businesses Must Embrace 
• The Six Rules of a Good Carney 
• The Relationship Between Good Marketing and Good Engineering 
• If You Loved the Peloponnesian War Reference, You’ll Treasure the Thermopylae Metaphor 
• Why You Must Have a Plan C 
• And, Finally, Why You Must Always Think Outside the Pizza Box!

More books by the author

About Christopher Carosa

Christopher Carosa was born on the third floor of Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, New York on a hot summer morning in mid-July, 1960. Barely a Kindergartner, he and his younger brother produced a daily newspaper (for just one day, and mainly as an excuse to type on their mother's vintage typewriter). He conducted his first public reading in first grade at the age of six, where he read a story he wrote about "Herbie the Helicopter" (sort of like "the little train that could" except with rotors instead of wheels). 

Later, as a teenage rebel who detested all things literature and English class, he once joined with a small band of classmates in tenth grade who refused a class assignment to read a novel and write an analysis of it. The teacher gave each of the renegade students a stern choice: "either do the assignment or write your own novel." While all his friends bowed to their instructor and did the assignment, Mr. Carosa held firm. He wrote his first novel "Armageddon" (a geo-political sci-fi epic set in the not-so-distant future). His teacher gave him an "A" and went so far as to suggest the budding scientist might have a dual career as a writer a la Isaac Asimov. 

The young Carosa laughed at the suggestion, but remained a closet author, coming out rarely and when it was least expected. He agreed to serve as treasurer of his high school literary magazine Equinox, but only if the editors agreed to publish his sophomoric send-up of Star Trek. They reluctantly acceded to his demands. He went on to oversee a then record-breaking sale of the flimsy carbon-copy annual, mostly by offering to personally autograph every copy sold ("You never know," he told unsuspecting buyers, "I might be famous some day.") 

Despite his best efforts, such as organizing a union of AP English Students (U.A.P.E.S.) and leading a "strike" where the entire class skipped one day, he passed his English classes. He found his antics fared no better in college, where his mocking essays failed to incite the professor, who instead enjoyed them for their "change of pace." 

Now a full-fledged adult, Carosa began writing in earnest the last few weeks of his college career. With hours of computer time left in his account and his senior thesis complete, he spent his remaining time using an archaic word processor to create entertaining tidbits for his friends. 

And that was it. 

The author within him went into hiding. He still wrote, but no one knew. He accumulated pages and pages, then floppy disks and floppy disks and then finally hard drives full of creative content. Some of it will never see the light of day (and probably shouldn't). Some of it you see here and will continue to see. 

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Audiobook Review for Hot For Love by Melissa Foster

 

• Hot for Love: Nick Braden

• The Bradens & Montgomerys: Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls, Book 7
• By: Melissa Foster
• Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood, Aiden Snow
• Series: The Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls) Series, Book 7
• Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
• Unabridged Audiobook
• Release date: 02-17-21
• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Foster
• 
  

Publisher's Summary

Discover the magic of New York Times best seller Melissa Foster's stories and see why millions of fans have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love-in-Bloom big-family romance families.

All Love in Bloom books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series. 

Trixie Jericho is on a mission to start her own miniature horse business. She’s sick of being told her idea is cute and wants nothing more than to be taken seriously. When rancher and sought-after freestyle-horse-trainer Nick Braden offers an opportunity she can’t refuse, Trixie jumps on it. The problem is she also wants to jump on him, but the bullheaded, big-muscled, motorcycle-riding cowboy doesn't mix business with pleasure. Little does he know, Trixie has never backed down from a challenge, especially one she wants more than her next breath. Saddle up, big boy, because this boot-stompin’, risk-taking, Daisy Duke-wearing cowgirl isn’t afraid to play dirty. 

Love-in-Bloom novels feature alpha-male heroes and smart, empowered women. They're flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to listeners who enjoy contemporary romance and women's fiction. 

My Thoughts… 

Audiobook Review:  Savannah Peachwood and Aiden Snow are phenomenal narrators.    They took the feisty, strong-willed Trixie and brought her spirit to life with their voices.   The tough, alpha male Nick was made real through the tone and emotions of the narrator's voices.   I had already read Melissa Foster's written version of Hot for Love.   I thought I had a good understanding of their relationship but hearing the words gave me such a better understanding of Trixie and Nick.   I love hearing their emotions and their feelings, the characters are brought to life as I listen.  

eBook Review: Trixie Jericho is a spitfire.   Growing up with only brothers she has always had to prove herself.   Prove that she can keep up with the boys, prove that she can handle herself, and prove that she can follow her own dreams.    Nick Braden, sigh, has offered Trixie his house as a home base for the next month to figure out what it will take to start her own miniature horse business.   He has no doubt it will be hard to share his house with Trixie since he has been attracted to her and has had feelings for her forever.  

I just have to say that I love, love, love these two together.   They challenge each other, they push each other, and the trust each other.   Nick pushes Trixie to start her business, purchase her horses, and make her dreams come true.   Trixie pushes Nick to let people in, open up about his past, and to let her in.   Both knew that they needed to find their happy ever after and knew that that happiness was dependent on them being together.

Their fights, their making up, and the loving was always exactly right.    Neither lost their spunk by being together.   They both stood their ground, opened their hearts, and fell into each other. 

 ➜AMAZON: https://smarturl.it/HFLa_Amazon

➜APPLE: https://smarturl.it/HFLa_Apple

➜AUDIBLE:  https://smarturl.it/HFLa_Audible

➜Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57037521-hot-for-love

Re-Release of Operation Amethyst by Leesa Wright

 

Today we have the release blitz for Leesa Wright’s Operation Amethyst! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy of this gorgeous historical romance today!

Title: Operation Amethyst

Author: Leesa Wright

Genre: Historical Romance

About Operation Amethyst:

Operation Amethyst takes the reader on an immersive historical journey with chilling twists and turns through war-torn Vietnam at the height of the War. A trail of secrets, in a faraway land could shatter the fiery American Prima Ballerina’s glamorous lifestyle. Captain Elijah Corrington’s mission: To keep the American prima ballerina, Elyse Booker, safe from North Vietnamese Army and the auction block. He quickly learns she’s not going to make this the easiest mission he’s ever faced. A family’s legacy of serving in the Marines Corp. The war-hardened marine, Elijah, is used to having his orders followed without question. She is fiercely independent and, at times, mischievous. Elyse, oblivious to the danger she’s facing is not about to take orders from some arrogant, handsome, stubborn marine. Three tours of duty could not prepare the Captain for the toughest battle of his life.   Or for the Promise of Passion and Love. . .   For the lovers of Ellen Marie Wiseman’s, The Orphan Collector, Leesa Wright has brought her love of history to life in this new 20th Century Historical Fiction Romance. OPERATION AMETHYST is available now. Come and be swept up in this romantic saga set in the midst of the Vietnam War.  

Get Your Copy Today!

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

Elyse woke with the arm of the Captain around her waist, his hand resting on the curve of her hip. Her head laid on his chest. She made a sound that was more of a kitten’s mew. Elijah looked down into her face. “Good morning, brat.” Elyse’s sleep-fogged brain couldn’t comprehend his sarcasm, so she snuggled closer to his chest and sighed her contentment. Elyse’s eyes flew open when she realized her head lay on his chest and her proximity to him. She sat up, her hands splayed on the ground, and she stared into his gorgeous brown eyes. My breath. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. “I think I need a toothbrush,” she said. ~*~*~ He was stunned into silence as his eyes roamed her face, her tousled hair, loosened from her bun as she had slept, fell in soft waves to curl around the curves of her breast and hips. The cleavage she unknowingly displayed, and that delightful tiny mole on the top of her left breast. Her eyes, Purple? No, amethyst. Porcelain skin and pink pouty lips. He had never seen a more beautiful woman, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. Focus man, focus. He leaned over and grabbed his rucksack. Opening a side pouch, he pulled out a spare toothbrush still wrapped in clear plastic and handed it to her. “I guess I came prepared.” He handed her his canteen. “It’s Kool-aid.” “You brush your teeth with Kool-aid?” she asked incredulously. He gave a wry grin. “Not just any Kool-aid, grape Kool-aid. Fresh water when we can find it can be nasty. This covers the taste of the iodine pills we use to sanitize the water.” He picked her bobby pins off his chest and the ground next to him and handed them to her. “You have ten minutes then we move out.”   “Seven men were ready within ten minutes. You took twice as long.” The Captain stated as she moved to pass him on the path. “Girl. I had to brush my teeth, wash my face. Thank God Mountain had water. I had to fix my hair and eat another nasty C-ration. I thought I did pretty well.” He grunted, rolling his eyes in response.    

About Leesa Wright:

Leesa makes her home in the Twin Cities metro area with her husband and her two dogs Rosie and Jax. When she isn’t writing she enjoys gardening, painting, and reading romance novels. She and her husband also enjoy movies, traveling, and entertaining their two grown children along with several beautiful grandchildren. Leesa’s favorite romance authors are Kathleen Woodwiss, Christine Feehan, and Johanna Lindsey. The book’s inspiration came one night from a dream about the characters, a song, and the story around them.  

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Blog Tour for The Story of Christina and I

 

Today we have the blog tour of The Story of Christina & I by Christina and Edward Sledge! Check out the memoir and be sure to pick up your copy today!

Title: The Story of Christina & I

Author: Christina & Edward Sledge

Genre: Memoir

About The Story of Christina & I:

Lead by destiny, here is the true love story of two Brooklyn high school sweethearts as they navigate life and love. One was encircled by poverty, crime, sex, drugs and alcohol. The other was raised by a tight knit family, filled with joy and supportive mentors. Eddie, from Flatbush and Canarsie, tries to survive in his drug and crime ridden neighborhood, while Christina is from Crown Heights, destined for higher education and success, though she struggles to stay focused on her plan to achieve her dreams. Eddie & Christina continually to unknowingly cross paths and finally begin their enduring love story. Their love is so powerful that they are able to conquer every obstacle they encounter and turn it into success. A real-life urban fairy tale that compels you to find out how they finally get to their happily ever after…

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Apple Books | Target | Indiebound | Hudson News and Booksellers

 

About Christina & Edward Sledge:

Christina and Edward live in Maryland with their two daughters. They have been happily married for more than 21 years. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Christina received an undergraduate degree from Temple University and a graduate degree from The George Washington University. Edward received an undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern University and a graduate degree from Towson University. They started Sledge House Publishing and Media in 2021. Both are planning to write more books together in the future.  

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